SMTA helps improve relationships between dealerships, workshops and customers

Founded in 1903, the Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA) was created to “encourage, promote and protect” the interest of its members. While this includes many aspects of helping and advising members on operational matters, increasingly the SMTA is looking at the relationship between dealerships, workshops and the consumer. Hence these words still hold true today in the modern automotive environment, but of course it follows that as customers are the lifeblood of any business the principles are transferred across to the consumers using SMTA membership businesses.

Sandy Burgess, chief executive of the SMTA (pictured) says, “The retail motor trade has changed radically over the past 10 years and especially so since the development of the digital age and all the opportunities and of course complexities that dealing on line can bring. I truly believe standards of customer care have improved to the extent that we have seen the end of those days when consumers were almost afraid of going into a dealership or garage. Both the law and common sense have ensured consumers are treated in a fair, open and transparent fashion.”

Continuing he stated “we actively encourage all our members to be completely open with all their customers. We want to ensure there are no hidden costs or that work is not carried out on a vehicle unless it has been properly authorised.”

So, does this now mean that every visit to any dealership or garage will now be a pleasant experience and that the old fear of being “ripped off” is a thing of the past?

“Unfortunately, no, it doesn’t, “said Mr Burgess. “Sadly there are still some unscrupulous dealers and repairers out there who don’t abide by the law on every occasion. I would, however, hope it is the case that when a member of the public deals with an SMTA member their experience is a much more pleasant one, backed up by the knowledge that if things do go wrong they will be dealt with using the same guidance of openness and transparency.”

Over 85% of Scotland’s franchised dealerships and another 600 independent repairers are members of the SMTA and its membership covers the whole of Scotland from the Shetland Isles to Stranraer, but there are still some dealers and workshops out with membership who could be regarded as “substandard” and that, says Mr Burgess, is where the consumer really should come into his/ her own. He says “These businesses only exist because consumers keep using them. If they were not used then, quite simply, they would not exist. Consumers need to remember that a cheap deal is very rarely the best deal.”

“I’ve always maintained that consumers are the motor trade’s police force, “he continued. “If a consumer feels one of our members has done a poor job or that they have been charged incorrectly then they should in the first instance report it to the manager of the site, if they are unable to get satisfaction then they can request to take it to our customer complaints and conciliation service and we will attempt to resolve any dispute a consumer may have.”

Mr Burgess concluded, “All we would ask of consumers is they remember that, while they are entitled to a fair and honest deal from their car supplier of repairer, our members are also entitled to a fair profit.

“That is why the SMTA talks abouta fair deal for all.”